Mali closes schools due to fuel scarcity as militants enforce blockade

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BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Mali closed schools and universities nationwide starting Sunday due to a fuel scarcity caused by a blockade on fuel imports jihadi militants imposed on the capital.

Education Minister Amadou Sy Savane announced on state television classes would be suspended for two weeks “due to disruptions in fuel supplies that are affecting the movement of school staff.”

Militants from the al-Qaida-backed Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin group announced a ban on fuel imports from neighboring countries into Mali in early September, squeezing the landlocked country's fragile economy and leaving hundreds of fuel trucks stranded at the border.

Mali, along with neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger, has battled an insurgency by armed groups, including some allied with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group as well as local rebels. Following military coups in all three nations in recent years, they have expelled French forces and turned to Russia’s mercenary units for security assistance, which analysts say has made little difference.

In Mali's capital, Bamako, endless queues have stretched in front of gas stations and the fuel scarcity has affected the price of commodities and transportation.

For a country that relies on fuel imports for domestic needs, the blockade is seen as a significant setback for Mali's military junta. The junta defended its forceful takeover of power in 2020 as a necessary step to end decades of security crises.

The Malian military attempted to escort some fuel trucks from border areas to Bamako. Some trucks arrived but others were attacked by militants.

The education minister said Sunday that authorities were “doing everything possible” to restore normal fuel supplies before schools resume classes Nov. 10.